Stephanie Landorf: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Sugar GroveWebsite: http://Stephanie Landorf for Sugar Grove Trustee - FacebookOffice sought: Sugar Grove Village Board (4-year Terms)Age: 44Family: Married, Husband Mark, 1 daughterOccupation: Administrative Assistant - Liberty Mutual Insurance Company - Legal Department for 14 yearsEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 As a working parent, I am running for Village Trustee because I want to help make Sugar Grove a better place to raise our families. Issues like safety, growth, and job opportunities all have a need to be addressed.Key Issue 2 I believe Sugar Grove needs to continue seeing economic growth. Growth in Commercial and Industrial areas bring employment opportunities to our community and diversifies our tax base.Key Issue 3 In talking with friends and neighbors, many do not feel the Board has always been receptive to them. As a Board member you have a responsibility to our community. As a Village Board member, I believe it is necessary to create more opportunities to bring the Board to the residents, and give them more of a voice in the decision making process.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?When my husband and I moved to Sugar Grove nine years ago, we were looking for a community where we could raise our child that had the kinds of values and an environment similar to where we grew up. We found that in Sugar Grove. Being a working mother, wife, friend and neighbor. I see the issues from that side and hope to bring a more common sense approach to the Village government.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.As a consumer, I think we would all say sales tax seems too high. However Sugar Grove's sales tax of 8% is about at par when compared to our neighboring communities like North Aurora at 7.5% and Yorkville's 8.25%, we fall between them. Although, I think it is far more important how we allocate those tax dollars, then what rate we fall under.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.In my neighborhood I have two ladies that use motorized scooters. I know that they have approached the Village about repairing the sidewalks so they can safely get around our neighborhood. Many of the sidewalks in our neighborhood are heaved up or missing completely and you have to go into the street. Nothing seems to get done about it. So I wonder, if this is happening in my neighborhood, what kind of similar issues others are having in theirs. Perhaps this issue should be addressed by sending someone from the Village out to inspect the sidewalks so a decision could be made. If it was found to be in need of repairing, it could be accomplished with funds from the Village Public Safety, Capital Improvement Projects or the budget.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?It seems that the Village spends a large portion of the budget on salary and compensation packages. I believe this should be reviewed to make sure that we are not paying higher salary packages then those of our surrounding communities. And if so, adjustments should be made. This would open up more funds to be allocated to other programs that are under funded. Programs like the emergency management, transportation improvements, and other community developments programs.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to find ways to make it easier for the residents to access the Board. Possibly the Board could add a link to the Sugar Grove web site, where residents can post questions or make comments. I know many people have ideas that could make our Village a better place to live, but can't make it to the meetings due to work or family issues. This would be a way to give our residents a chance for their voices to be heard.